Apparatus for heating and ripening honey



H. A. MITCHELL, DECD.

E. W. LOVE, ADMINISTRATOR APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND RIPENING HONEY.

APPLlCAIlON HLED SEPT-18,1918.

jwmwboz Patented Jan. 6

a 4 71 y 8 AZ; AA I 9 H H N z fa/56 i? Gite mama UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. MITCHELL, OF SHEPHERD, TEXAS; E. W. LOVE, ADMINISTRATOR 0F SAID HENRY A. MITCHELL, DECEASED.

APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND RIPENING HONEY.

Specificatifin of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. MITCHELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shepherd, in the county of San J acinto and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Heating and Ripening Honey, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an apparatus for heating and ripening honey, and has for its primary object to provide a very simple arrangement of the several parts, whereby the ripening process will be greatly expedited.

It is another and more particular object of the invention to provide an apparatus for the above purpose embodying a. hot water tank, a pan or receptacle arranged in the up- 1 per portlon of the tank to receive the honey,

and a pipe coil having one of its ends centrally connected to the bottom of said pan and its other end extended through one end wall of the tank.

It is also another object of the invention to provide a removable support adapted to be arranged within the pan and upon which the strainer cloths are supported in spaced relation to the bottom wall of the pan.

It is also a further general object of my invention to provide a device as above characterized, the several parts of which may be manufactured at relatively small cost and can be easily and quickly assembled or disassembled.

lVith the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination. and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Fig. '2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 1 is a detail perspective view of the comb support.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates the hot water tank which is preferably, though not necessarily, of rectangm lar form and may be of any desired dimensions. This tank is provided in one end wall with an opening indicated at 6 and a pouring spout or funnel 7 by means of which water is directed through the said opening into the tank.

Within the upper portion of the tank 5 a pan 8 is disposed. Preferably spaced supporting lugs 8 are fixed to the end walls of the tank upon which said pan is supported. One end of a pipe coil 9 in the hot water tank is centrally connected to the bottom wall of the pan 8 while the other end of said coil extends through the opposite end wall of the tank to that which is provided with the water inlet opening and is equipped with a faucet 10. The pan 8 is provided with side and end flanges U and H", which act to retain the support in place and also act as a guard for the honey.

ll designates the spaced transverse wires of the strainer cloths support which are connected to each other at their ends by means of the longitudinal wires 12, the latter wires having their terminals angular-1y bent as at 13 to form supporting feet. This support is adapted to be arranged within the pan 8, the feet 13 engaging the bottom wall ot the pan so that the transverse wires 11 are disposed in spaced relation thereto.

In the use of the apparatus, after filling the tank 5 with water and placing the honey upon the support within the pan 8, the tank is arranged over a stove burner or other source of heat. The water in the tank is quickly heated to a very high degree, and the honey from the combs is strained through the strainer cloth 9. This strainer cloth is arranged upon the support 12, and may be constructed of any suitable material. and has its marginal edge portion up-turned adjacent the side and end pieces 8 and E5 of the pan. The honey after straining through the cloth drips upon the bottom of the pan 8. where it becomes heated to a liquid state, so as'to enter the pipe coil 9. In the passage of the honey through the pipe 9, it is highly heated and ripened. The ripened honey is drawn off from the coil by means of the valve or faucet 10. As the water in the tank 5 is consumed. the supply may be replenished through the opening 6 in the end wall of the tank.

It vis to be observed that the pan 8 corresponds in shape and telescopically fits into the tank, so that the heat arising from the Water in the tank will act upon the full area of the bottom of the pan, a very small amount of the heat from the water being allowed to escape between the sides of the pan and the tank, but not enough to lessen the heating propensities. Furthermore, this escaping heat is gradual, and since the bottom of the pan is conical. the heat is deflected or distributed the full area of the bottom of the pan. It is obvious that the skeleton support 12 (upon which the straining means is arranged) supports the honeycomb. By reason of the fact that the heat from the water in the tank spreads upon the undert'ace ot the bottom of the pan. there is a c msiderable amount of heat that radiates upwardly from the bottom of the pan. and it is imparted to the honeycomb. thereby preheating the honeycomb. so as to preripen the honey. and reduce it to a running liquid state. so that it may thoroughly strain through the straining means. and upon the bottom ot the pan. where it is subsequently heated. The pit -heating and preripening the honey before it reaches the bottom of the pan. allows it to be easily carried otl' by the coil. Obviously the honey in passing through the coil becomes thoroughly heated and ripened from the heat ot the water in the tank. particularly owing to the coil being of small area in cross-section. By rendering the pan detachably connected to the coil, it is obvious that the pan may be easily and quickly removed. whereby the coil may be removed for repairs or whereby the bottom of the tank may be cleaned. and the sediment that may collect therein be removed. By constructing the pan so that it. will telescopically tit the tank. the most of the heat from the water will act upon the bottom of the tank.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. the construction. manner of use. and several advantages 01 my invention will be clearly understood. The upper end of the pipe coil 9 is preferably (letachably connected to the bottom wall of the pan. For instance, the bottom of the pan has a central depression E), which is conical. The central portion of this depression is counter-sunk or dished, and engaging in this counter-sunk portion is a flange 9 of a sleeve 8*. This sleeve extends through an opening in the bottom of the counter-sunk portion and is threaded into an elbow 8 A suitable washer or gasket 9 is arranged in the counter-sunk portion 9, under the flange 9*. It is to be noted that the portion of the bottom of the coun' tor-sunk portion 9 and the gasket 9 are clamped between the flange 9 and the elbow 8 thereby affording a detachable as well as a tight joint. By virtue of the depression 9, the flow of the honey into the coil 9 is materially facilitated. By means of the dctachable connection of the coil to the bot tom of the pan, enables the pan .to be disconnected from the coil. so that the pan may be easily removed trom the tank for cleaning the interior of the tank.v as well as for re pairs. The tank and pan are preferably constructed o't' sheet metal and as the other parts are of very simple form. it will be appreciated that the complete device can be produced at relatively small manufacturing cost. It is also very serviceable and efficient in practical. use.

hile l have herein shown and described the preferred construction and arrangement ot the several elements, it is, of course, to be understood that the apparatus is susceptible of considerable modification and I, therefore. reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim In an apparatus for heating and ripening honey, the combination with a hot water tank. of a earii'yingofl' and discharging coil mounted therein and provided with a faucet controlhed discharging means at one end exterior ot the tank, a pan corresponding in shape to and telescopically fitting the tank,

and provided with side and end parts, mean! upon the walls of the tank for supporting said pan removably and telescopically l): the tank, a skeleton honeycomb support removably disposed in the pan and conformingthereto. straining means on the support on which the honeycomb rests, the bottom of said pan having a central conical depression. the center of which having an outlet (awning. and means for detachably connect ing the other end ot the coil in said opening, whereby the pan may be removed In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. MITCHELL.

Witnesses:

J. C. FAIN,

E. C. DIAMOND. 

